Which NBA Coach Has the Most Championships?

A lot of people are asking which NBA coach has the most championships. The answer may surprise you.

Phil Jackson

Championships as head coach

Phil Jackson has the most championships as an NBA head coach with 11 total. He coached the Chicago Bulls to six championships in the 1990s, and then won five more with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2000s. Jackson also has the distinction of being the only coach in NBA history to win championships with two different teams.

Championships as player

Phil Jackson has the most championships as an NBA player, with 11. He won two championships with the New York Knicks in 1970 and 1973, and nine with the Chicago Bulls from 1991 to 1998.

Gregg Popovich

Gregg Popovich has been the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs since 1996, and has led the team to five NBA championships. He is also one of only two coaches in NBA history to win 1,000 games with one team. Popovich is widely considered to be one of the greatest coaches in NBA history.

Championships as head coach

Gregg Popovich has won five NBA championships as the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, making him one of only eight coaches in NBA history to win that many championships. He is also the only active coach with that many titles. His five championships have come in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014.

Championships as assistant coach

Gregg Popovich has won five NBA championships as a head coach, but he also has two championships on his resume as an assistant coach.

Popovich was an assistant coach under Larry Brown on the Detroit Pistons team that won the NBA championship in 1989. He was also an assistant coach under Brown on the San Antonio Spurs team that won the NBA championship in 1999.

Popovich became the head coach of the Spurs in 1996, and he has led the team to five NBA championships since then. The Spurs won titles in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014.

Pat Riley

Pat Riley has the most championships of any NBA coach with a total of 9. He has 5 championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and 4 with the Miami Heat. Riley is also the only coach in NBA history to win a championship with 3 different teams.

Championships as head coach

Pat Riley has won a total of nine championships as an NBA head coach. He won his first championship in 1982 with the Los Angeles Lakers, and his most recent championship came in 2008 with the Boston Celtics. In between, he won championships with the Lakers in 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000 and 2001. He also won a championship with the Miami Heat in 2006.

Championships as player

Riley played for Loyola University Chicago from 1963 to 1965 under head coach George Ireland, winning a NCAA Division II National Championship in 1964. In 1965, Riley joined the San Diego Rockets of the American Basketball Association (ABA) as a player-coach. Riley lasted almost the entire season as a player-coach before being replaced by Jack McMahon. As a result, Riley finished his ABA career with a record of 87 wins and 117 losses (a .425 winning percentage).

Bill Russell

Bill Russell has the most championships of any NBA coach with 11. He coached the Boston Celtics to nine of their championships in the 1960s, and also won two championships as a player. Russell is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.

Championships as head coach

Bill Russell is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He was also a successful head coach, leading the Boston Celtics to two NBA Championships in 1968 and 1969. In total, Russell won 11 NBA Championships as a player and coach, which is the most of any person in history.

Championships as player

Bill Russell played on the Boston Celtics from 1956 to 1969. He is a eleven-time NBA champion, which is the most in NBA history for a player. He is also a five-time NBA Most Valuable Player, which is second most all time. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1974.